Budget 2025: Skilling, schools receive boost

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveils education-focused measures in the Union Budget 2025, including Atal Tinkering labs and Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak scheme.

In her record eight budget presentation on Saturday (February 1, 2025), Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a slew of measures geared towards education and skilling, as part of the Union Budget for 2025 in Parliament.

Also read:  Union Budget 2025 LIVE updates 

Ms. Sitharaman announced that 50,000 Atal Tinkering labs will be set up in government schools in the next five years “to cultivate the spirit of curiosity and innovation and foster a scientific temper among young minds.” She also said that broadband connectivity would be provided to all government secondary schools and primary health centres in all rural areas under the Bharat Net Project.

Another measure put forth in the Budget is the Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak scheme, to provide digital form Indian language books for schools and higher education.

Building on announcements made in the July 2024 budget, Ms. Sitharaman announced that five National Centres of Excellence for Skilling will be set up with global expertise and partnerships “to equip our youth with the skills required for make for India, make for the world” in manufacturing.

The capacity of IITs is also to be expanded, the Finance Minister said, noting that the total number students in the 23 IITs had increased 100% from 65,000 to 1.35 lakh in the past 10 years. Additional infrastructure will be created in the five IITs started after 2014 and IIT Patna will also be expanded, she added.

Ms. Sithraman also announced a centre of excellence for AI in education with an outlay of Rs. 500 crores. Another measure straddling the domains of both healthcare and eduction was the proposal to add 10,000 additional seats in medical colleges and hospitals.